During training, new golfers are taught the concept of "clubbing" whereby they learn the technique of choosing which club to swing in order to hit the golf ball a desired distance. Since a standard set of golf clubs consists of 14 clubs, choosing the appropriate club from the set to match the desired shot can be overwhelming and confusing, resulting in frustration for the beginning golfer. Training would be greatly improved if the number of clubs were reduced without adversely limiting the number of shot options typically available to a golfer with a standard set of clubs.
Alternatively, it is the desire of more experienced golfers to increase the shot options available to them by increasing the number of clubs rather than reducing or limiting them. However, according to regulations adopted by the United States Golf Association, there is a limit to the number of clubs which may be used during the play of golf. Presently, if a golfer wants to change or vary the performance of a golf club, such as the golf ball trajectory angle or the travel distance of the golf ball, the golfer must either adjust the dynamics of his or her swing, such as the energy applied to the swing, or select a different club having the desired set of performance characteristics. Greater options would be available to the experienced golfer if each golf club provided multiple shot options without changing the user's swing mechanics.
Finally, as is commonly known, the game of golf is physically wearing since it necessarily requires the player to transport a significant number of bulky clubs across a large area of land in order to adequately play a round of golf. In this respect, a single golf club which performs the function of two typical golf clubs would be of great value in reducing fatigue.
In the past, very little has been done on the proper fitting and design of golf clubs for users having reduced swing speeds such as junior and senior golfers and the like. It is well known that the design characteristics of the golf club shaft is one of the most influential factors in total golf club design. Despite this well known fact, current technology is lacking in the area of golf club shaft design for user's with below average swing speeds.
Presently, junior's between the ages of 5 and 18 are fitted for golf clubs by following well known guidelines and factors which are intended to provide a basis for determining the proper shaft length and flex of the golf club. More specifically, the length of the golf club shaft is primarily based upon the approximate height of the user. Consequently, golf club shafts designed for juniors are much shorter than standard clubs designed for the average adult.
The flexibility of the golf club shaft or shaft flex is primarily based upon the user's strength ability and speed with which the golf club head is normally swung. For example, the less strength or slower speed in which a golf club is swung, the more shaft flex is required for proper fitting. Typically, juniors of relatively young ages and seniors of relatively old ages do not have the normal strength of an average adult, and thus have reduced swing speeds which must be considered when designing the golf club shaft.
There is a direct relationship between shaft flex and the length of the golf shaft. For example, a given shaft flex tends to feel more flexible as the club is lengthened and more stiff as the club is shortened. Although a large number of different shaft types, flexes and material are available, this tension between shaft length and shaft flex has been a complicated problem for designers trying to fit golf clubs for user's having reduced swing speeds such as junior and senior golfers.
More particularly, a golfer playing with a club that has too stiff a shaft flex may compensate for or experience lower than normal ball trajectory, un-solid feeling at impact on all but the exact dead center hits, a "boardy" feeling, consistently pushing the ball to the right or slicing, and loss of distance. On the other hand, a golfer playing with a club which has too flexible a shaft may compensate for or experience higher than normal ball trajectory, poor directional control, excessive hooking resulting from the face closing before impact, whippy feeling, and loss of distance.
Some manufacturers of golf clubs have cut adult clubs down in length for use by juniors resulting in an incorrect shaft flex. Other manufacturers have tapered or reduced the diameter of the shaft so as to create a more flexible golf club, and as a result of the materials used, have been unsuccessful. More specifically, shafts made with relatively small diameters exhibit unacceptably low strength characteristics and are most likely to break during use when constructed with common shaft materials, such as steel or graphite. This required shaft manufacturers who varied diameters to produce "fat" shafts for proper strength to flex ratio, but these bulky shafts are decidedly stiff for shorter lengths and do not provide the feel most players want.
In addition to the low strength to flex ratio, current shaft designs which implement small diameters require that the core diameter of the hand grip be adjusted to fit the small diameter by the use of underpinnings, such as wood or excess two sided grip tape. These necessary adjustment devices add more weight to the golf club resulting in imbalances, increases in hand grip slippage resulting in inconsistency in golf shots and reduced safety for the golfer and the golfer's playing companions, and increases in overall manufacturing tolerances.
Currently, golf shaft designs using the standard technologies and materials cannot provide both the strength and the flexibility and are either significantly too stiff to be used as an adequate golf shaft for user's with reduced speed swings or have very low strength tolerances and are prone to breaking.